FOUND: The Actual 1969 Camaro RS/SS Conv. NASCAR Pace Car for Bristol in 1969!

[SMKZ28]

I am writing this on behalf of Ruben (RDF) who is the owner of the actual 1969 Camaro RS/SS convertible that was used to pace the NASCAR events at Bristol International Speedway in 1969.  Up until a month ago, I thought that there were only three surviving NASCAR 1969 Camaro pace cars.  The Daytona 500, North Wilkesboro, and Charlotte Motor Speedway cars have been restored and are known in the hobby but now a fourth has surfaced and is currently residing in Illinois.  Click on the following link to see a multi-page topic thread that I created at the Camaro Pace Car web site that includes the correspondence Ruben and I had concerning his Camaro as well as pictures of the way it looked in 1969 and the way it looks today: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/1651091356

I will let Ruben know that I posted this on CRG, so please respond with any comments or suggestions for him concerning his significant Camaro.

Thanks

Scott Koscik
(SMKZ28)

[KurtS]

Dan Kirchner is the guy who found all those pacer pics and he still has the originals and can provide a high quality print. That # is still correct and his email is dansautolit@aol.com.

There were at least 10 cars and I know of 5 (and another possible car). The 5th car is very original and a manual, unlike the others.
Ruben never said if his was an auto or manual.

[ZLP955]

The car pictured has a nice ride height, wonder how modified from stock these were? Any other reliable reference sources for further reading would be great!

[SMKZ28]

I have created topic threads on several of the NASCAR 1969 Camaro RS/SS convertible pace cars over at the Camaro Pace Car site (more to come in the future).  Click on the following links to see them.

Newspaper articles from 1968 confirming use of Camaro by NASCAR during 1969 season: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/6951049946

Magazine Articles Featuring the 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 NASCAR Pace Cars: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/8931061356

Riverside International Raceway: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/4651010746

Daytona International Speedway: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/4031066646   and   http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/3811006646

Bristol International Speedway: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/4901054056

Atlanta International Raceway: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/9951035156

Asheville-Weaverville Speedway: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/9041093436

Darlington Raceway: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/9921039436

Alabama International Speedway (Talladega): http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/2901010256

Charlotte Motor Speedway: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/1861063336     and     http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/7611004436

Enjoy!

For those interested in learning about Camaro Pace Cars (non-Indy 500) from all five generations click on the following link that brings you to a huge five page section of the Camaro Pace Car site featuring the hundreds of Camaro pace car topic threads I have created: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/3100015833/p/1      Scroll through all five pages to see threads on additional 1969 Camaro pace cars as well as 1967 and 1968.

[SMKZ28]

Dan Kirchner is the guy who found all those pacer pics and he still has the originals and can provide a high quality print. That # is still correct and his email is dansautolit@aol.com.

There were at least 10 cars and I know of 5 (and another possible car). The 5th car is very original and a manual, unlike the others.
Ruben never said if his was an auto or manual.

Thanks Kurt.  I will pass this info on to Ruben.   Do you know if Dan has any more pictures that were not featured in the old article from Muscle Cars of the 60's/70's?

Besides the Charlotte, Daytona, North Wilkesboro and now Bristol pace cars, what track were the other Camaros you know of used at?  Do you have any pictures of them in their current state?  Maybe you could let the current owners of these cars know about the threads I have created (see above post).  They might want to see vintage pictures of their pace cars.

Thanks

Scott Koscik

[KurtS]

No pics.
Unknown what tracks.
The 6th car is a wildcard - fits the pattern, but was built later in the year. A replacement or incremental car?

[SMKZ28]

I just finished a topic thread on the 1969 Camaro RS/SS convertible that was used to pace the NASCAR and other important racing events at Michigan International Speedway in 1969.  See it here: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/2621024356

[SMKZ28]

Ruben never said if his was an auto or manual.

Kurt, Ruben just told me that the car has the automatic transmission.

[VINCE Z28]

Scott did they all have the 68 rear spoilers? Terry

[SMKZ28]

Terry,

I'm pretty sure they all did have the smaller 1968 style rear spoiler because they were built early in the model year (October of 1968).  Although KurtS just mentioned a possible 6th surviving NASCAR pace car that might have been built later in the year and used as a replacement.  This car would probably have the normal 1969 spoiler depending on how much later in the model year it was built.

Scott

[ko-lek-tor]

Outstanding and neat story Scott. Have all known 69 P-car Trim Tags been compared? I would think the body numbers would be sequential being ordered at the same time.

[SMKZ28]

To further clarify the rear spoiler question posed earlier by Terry, Ruben responded by saying, "The pics. of my car shows the longer spoiler I kept the one that came with the car which is the shorter spoiler, also have the ss hood in my garage.


He also wants to know if anyone can help him acquire a pretty rare option that originally came with his car.  He states that he has, "been trying to locate the fiber optic wire for the front turn lights to the fenders, no one in the after market offers that item.  Do you know of any outfit that might have that item!!! please let me know."

[SMKZ28]

Outstanding and neat story Scott. Have all known 69 P-car Trim Tags been compared? I would think the body numbers would be sequential being ordered at the same time.

I'm not sure.  I have never seen any of them in person.  I have only read about them in the magazine articles, etc.  It would make sense that they would be built sequentially, since they were all Dover White RS/SS convertibles with the blue interior and most of them shared similar options and they were all going to one purchaser. 

[69Z28-RS]

...
He also wants to know if anyone can help him acquire a pretty rare option that originally came with his car.  He states that he has, "been trying to locate the fiber optic wire for the front turn lights to the fenders, no one in the after market offers that item.  Do you know of any outfit that might have that item!!! please let me know."

There is nothing to the fiber optic 'system' except for the indicators and the fiber optic itself (a coated glass fiber light conveyer)..  If he only needs the fiber optic line itself (if his is missing or broken in half), then a corvette supplier would be the best source, as all Corvettes built in several years between '68-9 and 1971 Corvettes had them.  Many people think they are more complicated than they are.     A response to a similar question on the Corvette Forum addressed this issue very well, which I will repeat here:
"There is nothing mechanical or electrical about fiber optics. They are very simple. Just fiber strands that transmit light very easily, from the light source to the individual lenses in the console. The purpose of these items was to show the driver if there was an external light bulb that was not functioning.

 Here are a few of the common reasons why a fiber optic does not work. Check to see if the bulb is burnt out. If the lights were removed to have the car repainted, it is not uncommon for the fiber optic end to get painted over and not allow light to travel to the console. The fiber cable could be broken as a result of a previous accident. Check inside the console to see if the fiber optic cable is connected to the console lenses. When I first got my car, I found some of the cables just not connected to the console lense.

 Anyway, this is very basic technology and it is not like trying to run down an electrical problem. As was previously stated, if you have a problem it is pretty easy to just re-run new fiber cable and re-tape it into the harness. IMO. "

ie.. to have them work, the fiber optic line must 1) be present, 2) be clean on the ends, and 3) be installed in the fittings of the console and lamp source.

[KurtS]

The possible #6 car is a 12B, auto. Has the right options and was from TN and has some history.
Haven't heard about the car for a long time...